Work From Home as a Paralegal

Paralegals are vital members of the criminal justice profession that work closely with attorneys to assist them on their cases. Their daily duties can range from simple note taking to long hours conducting research at the law library. The service that paralegals are most known for is document preparation, which requires knowledge of legal forms/writing.

Since the work of a paralegal must usually be supervised or reviewed by a licensed attorney, licensing and certification requirements to become a paralegal vary by state. In many states, like Washington, no training or license is required at all.

Freelance and virtual paralegals have become more popular in recent years, especially as law offices, like many other businesses, seek to lower costs. Freelance paralegals may work by the hour or by the project and will market their services to attorneys in the local area. When hired for a job, the freelance paralegal may or may not be required to physically visit their client's office.

Virtual paralegals are the same as freelance paralegals, except virtual clients may be located anywhere in the country and can only be offered work that can be accomplished at a distance, like research or the completion of certain legal documents.

Since some states don't require paralegals to be certified or licensed, the paralegal's own experience will have to be competitive enough to survive in the job market. To gain experience as a paralegal, one of two options is usually required. The first option is on the job training, but finding a senior paralegal or attorney willing to show you the ropes can be difficult unless you offer your services at a discounted rate or for no payment at all. There are also several paralegal training programs that are available at an affordable rate that teach students the basics of the paralegal profession.

Paralegals who are just starting out in the field are urged to work, at least for some time, in a physical attorney's office in order to gain practical on the job experience before offering freelance or virtual services to more than one client. This will help the paralegal gain more experience while showing them how to apply what they have learned in their training programs to real world scenarios.